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Of course for many, the lure of Koh Samui is the sun, sea, sand and laid back lifestyle but there is far more to the island than just tropical sandy beaches, azure waters and palm trees. Thanks to the Santiburi golf club,Koh Samui is an exciting destination for golfers, but, if you don’t have golfing skills to show off on the islands world class golf course, why not enjoy one of these two fun variations of the game?

Frisbee Golf

If you can tear yourself away from a relaxing afternoon on a beautiful beach, Frisbee Golf is a fun way to cool off under the canopy of the jungle trees. It might sound like a gimmick but Frisbee golf is a real sport that started in the 70’s in the USA and is also known as disc golf. It is played much like traditional golf but instead of a ball and clubs you use a disc, better known to us as its brand name Frisbee. The Frisbee is thrown from a tee area to an elevated metal basket. The player then progresses down the fairway; he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. Like traditional golf, there are trees, shrubs and terrain changes providing obstacles to navigate which certainly adds to the fun. Unlike traditional golf you don’t need to rent a cart and it’s designed for people of all ages, males and females and does not require a bank loan to play!

The course in Maenam is open most days, if you want to play you can just call Nigel on 0816767754, the cost of playing is just 100 baht and you can play all day if you want to. Nigel has refreshments in his ‘club house’ and if there are a few of you playing he is happy to put on a BBQ for you, call him to discuss offers and prices. He can accommodate up to twenty if you fancy a long afternoon of fabulous food and fun.

Football Golf

Football Golf is basically golf with footballs, bigger holes and no clubs; it is a fun holiday activity that can be enjoyed by any number of players and is here thanks to Tom Roberts. Tom’s idea sprang from playing football as a child on the beach back in the UK. To make the game more interesting he and his friends used to dig holes on the beach and test their skills by trying to get a hole in one. The game was quite a challenge; not only because of the required digging, but as most of you will know running on the beach is seriously hard work.To make life a bit easier they relocated to Tom’s garden and the holes were replaced by a chair that was moved around placed behind obstacles to make the game more challenging.

Tom had such fond memories of his childhood game he decided there was no reason he could not take it into adulthood and set out to rent some land and make an 18 hole football golf course, which is exactly what he has done. Unbeknown to Tom Football Golf was already being played in Sweden, a fact he only discovered while surfing the net once his course had been completed. Within weeks Tom had Swedish players enjoying the paradise version of the game and football golf officially took off in Koh Samui.

The course is beautiful and thankfully, in this heat, is protected by a canopy of trees and coconut palms. Of the 18 holes one is a par 2, seven are par 3, seven are par 4, and three are par 5. You will encounter bunkers, bamboo hedges, hills and piles of coconuts on your way round and all need to be negotiated! There are hardly any rules to learn, basically you just have to get the ball in the hole and to keep it fair the most you record that you went over par is 7! The course is open seven days a week from 9am until 6-30pm.

Luxury beachfront and hillside villas on Samui have become ever more popular in recent years and provide an alternative to staying in a hotel there are a number of specialized villa agents you can book through such as Mambo Retreats

The Central Pattana Public Company Limited (CPN) unveiled its latest retail development on March 29th, the Central Festival Samui.

Central Festival is ideally situated in central Chaweng on the beach road. The Executive Vice President of Marketing for CPN said “CPN sees Koh Samui’s great growth potential owing to the island being recognized as one of the world’s top tourist destinations, drawing visitors with high purchasing power from all over the globe including Europe, Australia, Russia and Asia.

Shopping, Dining & Party..

Koh Samuiattracts 1.9 million visitors a year, 80% of whom are foreigners. In addition Koh Samui has seen dramatic growth in residential property development. CPN intends for Central Festival to be a new landmark for the island, standing out both in terms of design and the extensiveness of offerings. The shopping centre’s design features elements and details that are unique to Samui and will be the first themed mall developed by CPN. Its world-class design allows customers to have a resort-style shopping experience under the “Reminiscence of Southern Lifestyle” concept. Shoppers can relax while enjoying their shopping sprees.”

The shopping centre does indeed represent characteristics of Koh Samui such as the vintage Chaweng Port theme with the use of decorations such as birdcages that remind people of the day to day life of Samui residents. The mall’s décor also features Chino-Portuguese influences and colonial style architecture with a charming East meets West blend. Central Festival is certainly a haven for shoppers and indeed for diners. The Central Department store is certainly home to a myriad of big brand names and other anchor stores such s Tops Market, Power Buy, SuperSports and B2S have brought a whole host of items to shoppers that were not previously available on the island. Central Festival has more than two hundred other stores of local and international brands such as Rip Curl, Oakley, Playboy, Uniqlo, CCOO, Esprit, Giordano, Jaspal, Psylo, Adidas, Nature Art Gallery, Helen Mark and Jim Thompson. The Night Bazaar is a great place to while away an evening and the extensive ranges of dining options makes it the ideal place for a spot of lunch or a relaxing evening meal at one of the many gastro bars. Indoor and outdoor dining spaces can be found at B Bistro, Zazen, Zen Sushi and Sake, Coffee Club, Starbucks and Copa Cabana.

Pirates of Marioland

For kids and big kids alike there is plenty of fun to be had at the Mario Land amusement park, decorated under the theme of “The Pirates of the Caribbean”. Central Festival has a variety of events and campaigns plans for the whole year to entertain the residents and visitors of Koh Samui.

Ms. Yuwadee Chirathivat, the president of Central Department Store, said a budget of 425 million baht was spent on building the two-floor Central Department Store at Central Festival Samui. The store has total gross floor area of 8,000 square metres. It is the first and only Central Department Store with only two floors. It features a contemporary resort design concept and touts the natural beachfront atmosphere. Glass panels and windows are used in order to give an airy feel to the building. There is a garden in-between the escalators. As there are only two floors, customers can choose to walk up the stairs, use the escalators or ride the lifts.

Thailand may be predominantly Buddhist but when it comes to Christmas Samui and Phuket have certainly not been missed of Santa’s list.

In Koh Samui the festive period is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike and Christmas decorations can be seen in bars, restaurants, clubs, supermarkets and even hospitals. Christmas and New Year’s celebrations take place all over the island and New Years Eve will see the Koh Samui skies set alight with colourful and impressive firework displays.

The choice of where to enjoy Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve dining are endless but there are three that are sitting at the top of the tree for this yuletide season.

The Conrad Koh Samui is a stunning resort in a secluded location on the south western tip of the island. From here you can enjoy panoramic views of the fabled five islands and picture perfect sunsets over the gulf of Thailand.

The Conrad offers a multitude of culinary experiences. Traditional Christmas favorites can be enjoyed at the spectacular Zest restaurant and if you are in the mood to stray from tradition then you can indulge in an unforgettable culinary experience at The Cellar restaurant.

The Merry Christmas brunch will be held from noon until 3-30pm at the Zest. Here you will be able to relax with a light brunch from the Conrad’s holiday inspired buffet menu and a glass of sparkling wine. There is no better way to enjoy the delectable cuisine that at the Zest with its spectacular ocean views.

The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations taking place in the Zest from 6-30pm onwards will include a tantalizing festive buffet of turkey with all of the traditional trimmings and classic side dishes as well as traditional Christmas desserts.

The culinary indulgence at The Cellar starts at 7pm and if you book the eight seat dining table you can enjoy a wonderful evening that is exclusively yours or share the experience with other like minded guests and couples in an incredible and exclusive setting. The Cellar will be serving a six course Christmas Eve and Christmas Day degustation menu. However with only eight seats available booking ahead is essential.

Of course the festivities don’t stop after Christmas, there is the new year to welcome in as well. The Conrad will be playing host to a choice of gala dinners before they give a rapturous applause to welcome in 2014 on the beach amid a dazzling firework display and the beautiful floating lanterns.

Your gala dinner options include a colorful masked party on the beach with a wide selection of dishes, a Countdown at The Cellar where you can enjoy a memorable dining experience from the degustation menu and an exclusive seven course candlelit dinner at Jahn where you can enjoy fine Thai cuisine served in opulent style.

Another superb option for New Years Eve is the Napasai by Orient Express. This fabulous resort enjoys a superb location on a virtually private secluded beach cove in Maenam. The Napasai certainly how to make their guests feel special at any time of the year, but it is particularly magical around the festive period.

The New Years Eve buffet is every bit as spectacular as the Napasai itself and with a abundance of fresh seafood, Sushi, smoked duck breast, duck liver, duck salad and an array of Thai specialties on the starter menu, a noodle soup station, western favorites such as Beef Sirloin, Lamb Loin and duck, BBQ’d tiger prawns, rock lobster tails, blue crab, squid, Charolais Rib Beef, chicken and whole pork, not to mention main course Thai dishes, a French cheese station and a dessert menu with dishes like Lemon Tart, Panna Cotta , cream brulee, chocolate moose and fresh tarts as well as ice cream and Thai desserts, you had better take along a very healthy appetite.

If you feel like ringing in the New Year in the romantic fisherman’s village on the north shore then the H Bistro is an excellent choice.

The H Bistro is part of the luxurious Hansar Samui and has a strong focus on providing cuisine at the highest level. H-Bistro has both indoor and outdoor dining spaces that overlook the gulf of Thailand and Koh Phangan beyond.

The H Bistro is a superb choice when it comes to spending New Years Eve in a culinary paradise. The evening here will kick off with a rather special aperitif of Osteria Prosecco DOC Vino Frizzante, Mareno di Piave, Veneto, Italy. This will be followed by Chilled Langoustine, Madagascar Prawn and Alaskan King Crab. Once your appetite has been wetted you wll find yourself indulging in Slow cooked Hereford Veal Sirloin with Parmesan Reggiano Raviloi with Alba White Truffle Shavings before its time to go back to the ocean once again for Butter poached Maine Lobster, Venus Clams and Sea Urchin followed by Brittany Turbot Jumbo Scallop and then a very special course of Pigeon Royale Supreme. The grand finale to this gourmet extravaganza will be Fresh yellow Peach – Bourbon Vanilla Cream Brule Tart, “Isigny” natural yoghurt mousse, white chocolate Chantilly, bouvet saphir rose champagne and peach sorbet followed by Elefin Coffee or tea and Chocolate pearls!

Chaweng is the centre of vibrant nightlife on Samui for those who want to dance the nights away. Popular venues are the Green Mango, Reggae Bar, Sound Club and Solo Bar all pumping out the latest dance tunes well into the early hours of the morning.

For the more adventurous take a boat ride over to Haadrin Beach on Koh Phangan home of the famous Full Moon Party and they will be throwing huge parties on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Of course Koh Samui does not have the cold weather and snow that is associated with Christmas in the west, so you will have to make do with white sandy beaches, hot summer lazy days and some time for rest and relaxation in the blue azure waters. During the Christmas period in Koh Samui you will be able to enjoy fine dining, swimming, kayaking, fishing, diving, sailing, golf, ocean and jungle safaris, temples, world class spas, day trips to other islands, vibrant markets and of course wonderful Thai hospitality from the Land of Smiles.

Mambo Retreats would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.